Jung believed the unconscious to be of great importance to personality development, arguing that in order to develop a one’s fullest potential, there must be a synthesis between the consciousness and unconscious elements. The development of consciousness and inner development are equally important throughout life. However, we often neglect the unconscious, considering our consciousness functions as superior for meeting the demands of society (e.g., in developing a respected and professional identity in one’s line of work or being the ideal mother/father figure). Jung did not believe that full development was possible by attending solely to conscious elements—one must also be in touch with the unconscious, consisting of unlived potentials that
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His theory suggests that healthy personality development requires a balance between conscious and unconscious processes. It is in this way that a person acknowledges their personal shortcomings, creative potentials, and failures, which are all essential for inner growth. We can tap the energies of the unconscious through work with a counselor, interpretation of dreams, or through mythology, religion, and the arts. Although we all begin as a unified whole in early life (although unconsciously), it is inevitable that parts of the psyche will develop unevenly as one matures; some parts come into consciousness and other areas remain unconscious. It is then in mid-life, through the process of individuation, that we have the opportunity to restore the balance, discovering a new center of ourselves—the …show more content…
While the first half of our lives revolves around navigating and establishing ourselves in the world, the latter half of our lives moves towards self-awareness, integration, and wholeness. The pathway to individuation requires overcoming those barriers to wholeness represented by the failure to integrate psychic elements (e.g., the Shadow and other archetypes) into consciousness. Unlike the Persona (which is conscious), the Shadow is often not acknowledged because it contains repressed thoughts and ideas that are generally not accepted by the ego because of social norms. However, once acknowledged and successfully integrated, it has the potential to bring a wealth of energy and new perspectives for resolving life’s challenges, resulting in a life that is balanced and more
His theory suggests that healthy personality development requires a balance between conscious and unconscious processes. It is in this way that a person acknowledges their personal shortcomings, creative potentials, and failures, which are all essential for inner growth. We can tap the energies of the unconscious through work with a counselor, interpretation of dreams, or through mythology, religion, and the arts. Although we all begin as a unified whole in early life (although unconsciously), it is inevitable that parts of the psyche will develop unevenly as one matures; some parts come into consciousness and other areas remain unconscious. It is then in mid-life, through the process of individuation, that we have the opportunity to restore the balance, discovering a new center of ourselves—the …show more content…
While the first half of our lives revolves around navigating and establishing ourselves in the world, the latter half of our lives moves towards self-awareness, integration, and wholeness. The pathway to individuation requires overcoming those barriers to wholeness represented by the failure to integrate psychic elements (e.g., the Shadow and other archetypes) into consciousness. Unlike the Persona (which is conscious), the Shadow is often not acknowledged because it contains repressed thoughts and ideas that are generally not accepted by the ego because of social norms. However, once acknowledged and successfully integrated, it has the potential to bring a wealth of energy and new perspectives for resolving life’s challenges, resulting in a life that is balanced and more